By CGTN’s Daniel Ryntjes
The White House said the heads of each US government agency will be responsible for securing their networks against hacking, intrusions, service disruptions, data and identity theft.
A group of officials have also been providing advice to the White House team drafting an Executive Order initiating the new policy response.
“We must defend and protect federal networks and data. We operate these networks on behalf of the American people,” President Donald Trump said.
US President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with cyber security experts in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., US, on Tuesday, January. 31, 2017. /VCG Photo
The White House is urging them to follow the protocols established by another government agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
But Donald Trump also wants these agencies to work more closely together with specialist companies that have gained expertise in protecting private network.
A group of officials have also been providing advice to the White House team drafting an Executive Order initiating the new policy response.
US President Donald Trump, left, speaks during a meeting with cyber security experts in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, January. 31, 2017. /VCG Photo
The work will be coordinated by a White House council headed by former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who owns a security consulting firm.
“The private sector is wide open to hacking and sometimes by hacking the private sector you get into government. So we can’t do this separately,” Giuliani said.
Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York, speaks during a meeting with US President Donald Trump and cyber security experts in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, January 31, 2017. /VCG Photo
The issue of cyber security was raised during Donald Trump’s presidential run when hackers gained access to emails and data belonging to the Democratic National Committee and members of the Hillary Clinton campaign.
Given Donald Trump’s fractious relationship with several intelligence agencies during the presidential transition, the initiative is likely to receive heightened political scrutiny in the days to come.
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